Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales is expected to be charged Friday with 17 counts of murder in connection with a March 11 overnight rampage in the Kandahar province of Afghanistan. Here is a primer on the military's investigative process and the charges. Q: Who investigated Bales? A: Each branch of the service has its own internal “police force,” and for the Army it is the Criminal Investigation Command. These Army detectives, who generally serve with the accused soldier's same command, began interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence and preparing a report about the shootings for Army prosecutors for the possible filing of charges that could lead to his military court-martial.

A soldier was convicted in a court-martial of murdering a Panamanian civilian while in Panama City in January with U.S. invasion forces. Army Pfc. Mark McMonagle, 20, of Philadelphia, was convicted of murder in causing the death of Leila Diaz de Panay, 50, who was struck by bullets in her home Jan. 25. The bullets were fired while McMonagle was helping stage a fake fire fight in order to cover the fact that co-defendant Sgt. Paul Finsel had lost his Army pistol in a nearby brothel.

The ringleader of an abortive attempt to topple the Kenyan government in August, 1982, Friday lost his appeal against the death sentence. Justice William Mbaya, dismissing the appeal by former Senior Private Hezekiah Ochukah, said the court found overwhelming evidence to sustain Ochuka's conviction by a court-martial. Ochukah was sentenced to death for heading an attempt by junior airmen to overthrow President Daniel Arap Moi. The army crushed the insurrection.

A soldier was convicted in a court-martial of murdering a Panamanian civilian while in Panama City in January with U.S. invasion forces. Army Pfc. Mark McMonagle, 20, of Philadelphia, was convicted of murder in causing the death of Leila Diaz de Panay, 50, who was struck by bullets in her home Jan. 25. The bullets were fired while McMonagle was helping stage a fake fire fight in order to cover the fact that co-defendant Sgt. Paul Finsel had lost his Army pistol in a nearby brothel.

An Army sergeant at Ft. Hood who was tasked with helping prevent sexual assault now faces potential court-martial for sexual abuse, adultery and other criminal charges. The 21 initial charges filed Friday by the Army against Sgt. 1st Class Gregory McQueen are related to pandering, conspiracy, maltreatment of a subordinate, abusive sexual contact, adultery and detrimental conduct, the Texas base said in a statement. Army investigators started looking into McQueen, 38, last May after allegations surfaced that he had turned a few cash-strapped female soldiers into prostitutes who he then offered to higher-ranking members.

Sgt. Maj. Gene C. McKinney's chief accuser acknowledged that she omitted from her original complaint one of her most sensational charges: that he made a raunchy come-on and promised to make her "plenty happy." McKinney, 47, the Army's former top-ranking enlisted soldier, is accused of sexually harassing, assaulting or threatening six women. Staff Sgt.